Silent
by pallasphoenix
Summary: She moved so gracefully, so beautifully, that I had to remind myself again and again that she couldn't hear the music. It was as if, when she danced, all the weight of her handicap was no longer holding her down. She was free.
1. Hey You, Have We Met Before?

**Hey You, Have We Met Before?**

_Brittany _

I walk through the halls with a big smile on my face, so excited for the day. I don't really know why, but the reason isn't that important. After skipping up and down the hall a few times, I remember which locker is mine, and proceed to recall my combination. I hear a few snickers as people walk past me, but I ignore them. Like Kurt says; they'll be working for me someday.

"Eureka!" I say, and quickly turn the dial to the appropriate numbers. I learned that word from watching the _Dr. Who_ marathon this weekend.

_42-3-12_. Got to remember that. I retrieve my Biology, Algebra, and English books from the metal box, and turn to fix my hair in the small, pink mirror. As I brush my bangs a little off to the side, I see a short brunette walking down the hall. She has a woman with her, and I'm wondering why she would need a teacher with her. The girl looks perfectly normal, and she doesn't act like Becky or any of the other special needs kids at McKinley. I turn around and wave at the girl, but she doesn't seem to see me. The teacher with her waves goodbye and then goes down the other hallway. The dark skinned girl moves towards me, and I smile and say hello.

She doesn't answer me, but instead goes to the locker two down from mine and begins to spin the dial on the lock. The girl has her locker open in moments, and I shut mine forcefully. Why won't she say hello? What's her problem?

"Hi! I'm Brittany S. Pierce. What's your name?" I say, right next to her now. She finally sees me, and jumps back a bit. She relaxes, but looks confused.

"I'm surry, whut did you suay?" She slurs, and I frown. She sounded like she had cotton balls jammed in her mouth.

"I said," I stop when I see that she's only paying attention to my lips. "I'm Brittany. What's your name?" I finish, and she nods and lets out a little 'oh'.

"I'm Santanuh. I'm new here," she says, moving her hands into shapes and forms as she speaks. It finally clicks in my head, and I blush.

She's deaf. Duh, Brittany!

"That's cool. Where did you come from," I ask, saying things a little slower so she could understand. When I do, she laughs loudly and shakes her head.

"I caun understand you fyn. No need to patronyze me," she jokes, and I blush a little. Of course, she's probably been doing this her whole life.

"Sorry. I've never met a deaf person before. Can I see your schedule," I ask, and she nods quickly before handing me a slip of paper.

"Do you need help finding these classes," I ask, and Santana shakes her head.

"No, I'm fyn. Thunk you though," she says politely, and I nod in recognition.

"Well, I'll see you later then. Have a good day," I say, and she smiles and waves. I turn away, and walk to biology class.

* * *

><p>Quinn, Puck, Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Mercedes and I are all sitting at a lunch table. Kurt and Blaine are plotting their outfits for next week, and Rachel is busily looking over her enormous pile of sheet music that she plans to show Mr. Shue. As I bite into my PB&amp;J sandwich, I see Santana walk into the cafeteria. I wave my hands high over my head, but she can't see me.<p>

"I'll be right back guys," I say to my friends, and they all nod absently. I hurry over to Santana, who is trying to find a seat. I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around.

"Oh, hi," she says. I point to all of my friends at the lunch table, and ask if she would like to join us. She agrees, and I hold out my hand so I can lead her to the table. She shakes her head, and instead links her pinkie with mine.

"I tulk with my haunds. I doun't like people holding theum," the dark haired girl explains. I nod, and lead her to my friends.

When I bring Santana over, everyone looks perplexed, but eager to see whom I brought over. They all whisper to one another.

_I think she's in my history class_.

_She's hot!_

_Can she sing better than me? Should I send her to a crack house?_

_Berry, you're insane!_

"Hey, hey guys? This is Santana. Do you mind if she sits with us?"

"Not at all. Hello Santana," Rachel says quickly, getting up out of her seat. She extends a hand for Santana to shake, "I'm Rachel Berry."

Santana shakes Rachel's hand and then lets go of it to respond.

"Hi Raychul. Nice to meet you," Santana slurs, signing as she speaks. Rachel's face immediately turns a bright red, and everyone stops whispering. Santana didn't hear them whispering, so she just looks at me in confusion.

"Deaf people are like everybody else guys. We shouldn't treat Santana differently, just because her ears don't work," I say, and Kurt raises his hand and stands up.

"If I may, President Brittany," he says, and then turns to Santana. "I'm Kurt. I think we'll be great friends, because you can't make fun of my voice."

Santana processes what he said for a moment, and then lets out a loud guffaw. After seeing the Latina laugh, everyone else does too. I put a hand on Santana's back, and pull up a chair for her.

"You can sit next to me."

She smiles, and watches everyone as they talk to her.


	2. Joining Glee Club

**Joining Glee Club**

_Brittany_

I walk into Glee club with Santana's pinkie linked with mine. I had asked her to come, because I wanted her to meet some people who would be nice to her. I know that the rest of the school would not give up the opportunity to slushie 'the deaf girl'. I wonder, quickly, if Santana got bullied at her old school.

We sit down on the second row up next to Mercedes. Santana smiles and says hello to Mercedes, and soon they're having a conversation about _Pretty Little Liars_ and how gorgeous Tatum Channing is.

"Personally, I like my men coca brown though. But, Tatum does have _great_ abs," Mercedes says, and Mr. Shue walks in right on queue. He claps his hands together and pivots to face us.

"Hey guys. Today I want to talk about- oh, it seems we have a new member! Why don't you introduce yourself," Mr. Shue says, but Santana wasn't paying attention. I tap her shoulder and she looks around, and then she sees Mr. Shue looking at her. Santana gets up and walks over to where Mr. Shue is standing, before she turns to speak to the Glee club.

"Hi, I'm Santanuh Lopehz. I moved here frum New York. My daud got a promotion, so we came heure. I caunt really sing, because well, I'm deauf," Santana jokes, and Mr. Shue, along with the rest of the Glee club, laughs. Santana smiles, and looks at Mr. Shue.

"Well Santana, can you do anything else?" he asks, and Santana nods.

"I caun daunce."

Everyone goes silent, and Mr. Shue just stands there with his mouth open. No one believes that Santana can dance, and they don't want to hurt her feelings.

They don't know what to say.

I look over and see Santana close to tears. Should I go over? Comfort her? Before I can answer my questions, Santana is already out the choir room doors. I can hear her footfalls echoing down the halls.

"Santana! Santana wait!" I shout, running out of Glee club as well. I can't find her, and too soon too late I realize that calling for her isn't going to work.

_Where's the one place she would go, to be alone? _

* * *

><p><em>Santana<em>

You may think that I'm very different than a hearing person. You're wrong. Just because I can't hear, doesn't mean I can't narrate a story.

I think in words and colors, not sounds. Everything has a color to me. Brittany is yellow, because if I could hear, she would probably sound yellow. I know that doesn't make any sense, but it's what makes sense to me. I told this to my mom once, and she said that people don't sound like colors.

I think they do.

I also know what music feels like. Not what sounds the music makes, but the vibrations. I can't hear myself, which is why I can't sing. But I can feel the music, and I can dance.

I've never actually danced in front of anyone before. I thought that I would open up to the Glee club kids, and show them what I can do. But they all just stood there, mouths gaping open like fish. They were all so stupid.

Stevie Wonder is blind, and yet he can play the piano. Helen Keller was deaf _and_ blind, and yet she was an inspirational speaker and she wrote books. Why can't people see past my handicap? I just want to be normal.

I can feel footsteps, and in no time Brittany is standing in front of where I'm sitting, as yellow as ever. I smile a fake smile for her, because she's my friend. I don't want her to become tangled in my complex life.

The blonde taps me on the shoulder, and I look at her.

_Are you okay? What happened back there?_

_I'm fine. I just needed a break. They were all judging me, and I didn't like it. _I say, signing as well. Maybe, sooner or later, Brittany would pick up on sign language. Back in New York, none of my friends cared to learn signs. They all took advantage of the fact that I could read lips.

_I'm sorry about that. It was kind of dumb of me to bring you to Glee club, where you're expected to sing, _she says, and I see her laugh. I just smile, but when she pokes me in the rib, I can contain my laughter no longer. We stay in the hallway until Brittany's mom comes to pick her up from school. She doesn't have a car yet, but she said that she's saving up for one. A blue pickup she said.

I don't have a driver's license, but not for the reasons you may think. I am legally allowed to drive, but my parents refuse to let me take the test.

My parents are insane.

They are so terrified of the fact that I'm deaf. Ever since I was a child, I have been constantly sheltered. I honestly don't think I've ever been out by myself, alone anywhere besides school. Even when going out with friends, my mom or dad would sit on a bench where they were 'out of sight', but they could still see me.

My friends would make fun of me.

I love my parents, but I can't wait until college. Then, I can finally do my own thing. It'll be great.

I'm in my mom's SUV, playing with the air vents. Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down.

I feel my mom tapping me on the shoulder.

_Santana, how many times have I told you not to touch the air vent! Leave it alone! This is a very expensive car, _she says, and I nod. She continues on about the car, but I just look out the window. She never notices. That's one of the perks of being deaf; you don't have to listen if you don't want to.

I usually choose not to.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I looked it up, and yes, deaf people are allowed to drive. I didn't make it up. Also, if you didn't realize, in Santana's POV I will have all the dialogue in italics, since she can't actually hear anyone talking. I thought it would be cool. Also, I may not make this a Brittana story. I'm not sure. What do you think?**


	3. My Friends They Are So Beautiful

**My Friends They Are So Beautiful**

_Santana_

It's my third week at McKinley, and so far things have been great. I'm in Glee club, despite the fact that I can't sing. Mr. Shue said that I could just sway in the back. He still can't understand that I can dance.

Anyway, I'm sitting outside on the grass with all of the glee kids on a Friday afternoon. We're all laughing and having a great time. After Rachel realized that I wouldn't be competition, she grew to like me. I think Quinn is jealous of me, because Puck keeps staring at my boobs. He thinks I don't notice, but I do. Mercedes is one of my best friends, besides Brittany of course. The diva keeps it real, and I like that.

_So what do you guys want to do this weekend?_ Kurt asks. A few in our group respond with the usual 'sorry I have plans' or 'too much homework this weekend'. Brittany says she can't go, because she has to rub glitter on Lord Tubbington's belly so he'll poop out candy bars.

_I can hang out. Want to go shopping?_ I say, and Kurt turns to me, but doesn't say anything. He looks me up and down, and I begin to worry. What if he doesn't like me?

_Are you kidding? I'd LOVE to! I'll pick you up at 4 tomorrow, _Kurt says excitedly, and I grin like the Cheshire Cat.

_Okay, _I sign. A few of the glee kids have picked up on a couple of signs. _4 it is._

Kurt smiles, and he chatters on about absolutely needing to go to the Marc Jacobs store to pick up his new line. I really don't care too much about fashion, but I figure that if I want to care, I should definitely hang out with Kurt more.

* * *

><p><em>Kurt<em>

Santana and I are walking through the Lima mall, searching for a lemonade stand. She's convinced that there has to be one here, since they were at the malls in New York. I don't want to correct her or anything, so here we are.

"Santana," I say, and nudge her in the rib. "There's an pretzel shop over there. I think they sell lemonade. Want to go?"

"Okay," she says, and links elbows with me. We merrily skip to the food vendor, where I tell Santana which pretzels is the best, _and_ low cal.

"Khurt, I'll get the sault pretzul and lemonade," she says, and I nod as I order the same. We head over to a table, and sit down.

"So tell me, what's it like," I ask. Santana looks confused as she bites into her soft pretzel.

"Whut do you mehun?" she says, cocking her head to the side.

"What was it like living in New York!" I say excitedly, and Santana nods. The Latina carefully puts down her treat and begins to talk as well as sign.

"It's actually reully niuce. I lived in Manhattun, so I never got mhugged or anything," she begins, and takes a sip of lemonade. "I louved the city, but I like it here too. I caume here to Ohio because my daud got a job offor. I like it in Ohio, because there isn't a lout of noise," Santana says, taking another sip of her drink.

"Santana, you can't hear. Why does it matter if it's quieter in Ohio," I ask, chuckling.

"Because, I doun't feeul like I'm missing everything," Santana explains, and I laugh.

"You have some interesting opinions, Santana. I'm glad you moved here," I say, and the Latina asks why.

"Well, because… I like you, and I think we can become great friends," I say, and she looks at me strangely, sort of like she needs to tell me some bad news. "What is it, Santana?" I ask, cocking my head to the side. The dark skinned girl plays with her hands a bit and looks around, pretending that she didn't see me. I poke her hand, and ask the question again. She sighs loudly, and she blushes shyly when a few people turn their heads. She looks at me sadly, and takes my hand. I raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Um, Santana? What are you doing?"

"Khurt, I'm sorry, bhut I doun't like you, in that way," the deaf girl says, and I look at her like she's crazy, until I have my 'ah ha!' moment.

"Oh, honey, I'm not straight. I guess you thought I liked you, but I'm gay," I say, and Santana looks flustered as she pulls her hand away quickly. "I just assume everyone knows, because I have a very high voice, which is stereotyped as gay."

"Well, now that _that's_ ovar, look at that cute guy ovar theure!" Santana whispers in my ear, and I chuckle as we talk about make up and fashion.

I really like this girl.


	4. Why'd I Have To Go

**__Why'd I Have To Go And Make Things So Complicated?**

_Brittany_

Santana and I walk to math class, pinkies linked together. I swing my arm as she tells me about her weekend with Kurt. I laugh when she tells me she thought Kurt had a crush on her.

"You're super hot, Santana. I don't know who _wouldn't_ want to go out with you!" I say, and immediately, Santana's face turns a bright red. I try to rephrase my comment, trying not to sound awkward. But no matter how hard I try, it still comes out wrong. Santana's pinkie is still linked with mine when we walk into class.

"Um girls, you're **late**," scolds the teacher, who's name I can't remember right now. We ignore her and continue to our seats, which are right next to each other. Santana and I silently take out our books, and the teacher glares at us for a few more seconds before going back to writing on the whiteboard.

"As I was saying, if x=14…."

I feel Santana poking me in the arm, and I look over to see that she's getting ready to sign to me. She knows that she can't whisper, so she taught me some conversational signing.

_I'm sorry I was strange before, _she signs, and I quickly reply,

_It's okay. I made a…_ I don't know how to say 'weird comment', so I tap my lips before mouthing; "weird comment before, and I'm sorry about that. It won't happen again."

She looks at me for a moment, reading my facial expressions most likely, and then signs, _It's okay. You are my best friend. _

I smile at her, and we turn our attention to the board as we link pinkies under the table. But when I look at her, I can see that she's tense. Uncomfortable. And yet, I keep holding her pinkie.

* * *

><p>"So how did everyone's weekends go?" asks a far too chipper Mr. Shue.<p>

"I went shopping with Santana," says Kurt excitedly, winking at the Latina playfully. She signs something to him that I can't understand, and they laugh loudly.

"Fantastic. Anyone else?" says Mr. Shue, rubbing his hands together.

"I shoplifted a pair of panties," says Puck, and Quinn smacks him on the arm.

"Puck!"

"What? They were for you babe!" Puck says, but Quinn isn't buying it. She huffs dramatically and goes to sit next to Rachel. She turns to the brunette and lifts a single finger in front of her face.

"Don't make me regret this decision, Berry," she warns, and then turns back to Mr. Shue in the front of the room.

"O-kayy then, let's begin. Now I was thinking that for regionals, we could start with a duet between Finn and Rachel, perhaps " Mr. Shue announces, and Rachel begins to clap excitedly as Finn smiles like a dork and Sam, sitting behind the pair, high fives Finn, smiling with that _huge_ mouth of his.

Mr. Shue is smiling in the front of the room, pleased with the enthusiasm. "and we can have the girls singing _Black Horse In A Cherry Tree_. And then, I was thinking of having the entire group join in with a rendition of _All Star_, by Smash Mouth," everyone cheered, pleased with his choice of anything besides Journey, "How does that sound?" the teacher finishes and Mercedes and Quinn high five, knowing that they'll _kill_ that song.

"Mr. Shue, I think that's a great set list. We're totally going to win at regionals! Although, I would've liked a song about unicorns, but horses are okay," I comment, and Santana smiles at me. She's very pretty when she smiles.

"Speaking of winning, Brittany, you and Mike will be our spotlight dancers. You'll be in the front for the two group songs. So make it count!" Mr. Shue says, and Mike turns around to wink at me.

"We're going to be great, Brittany," he says, and I nod excitedly. Santana taps me on the shoulder, wanting to say something.

"Good joub, Brittany. You're gonna rowk it!" Santana congratulates. I laugh and put my hand on her back, and she looks alarmed. She's tense, so I take my hands away and put them in my lap. We turn away from each other, and I can feel my ears going red.


	5. If I Could Trade Mistakes For Sheep

**If I Could Trade Mistakes For Sheep**

_Santana_

Brittany and I are hanging out at the Pierce residence, lazily draped on her big couch, watching _Twilight_. I'm not complaining or anything, but Brittany barely knows how to work the TV, so she couldn't figure out how to put on subtitles. Since it's not an action movie, I have _no_ idea what the hell's going on. It's very hard to read lips on TV, because they keep going to other cameras at angles which you can't see the actor's lips. But honestly, I'm just happy to be hanging out with Brittany.

Speaking of Brittany, the blonde gently nudges my leg with her foot. I turn to her, as she probably wants to make a comment of some sort.

_I'm so excited for Regionals! I don't know how Mike and I are going to be able to put together an entire number for the whole show. It's going to be a lot of work,_ she says, and I nod. I'm very happy for Brittany, and it's nice that she's finally getting noticed in Glee club. Her dance moves _are_ 'pretty sweet', as Artie always says. Artie is a bit strange, as it seems like he acts very 'hip hop/ R&B' all the time. It's very amusing.

_I'm happy for you, Britts,_ I say, signing as well. _You'll do fine, and with your sweet moves; we'll totally win Regionals._ As I finish my statement, Brittany smiles and winks at me.

_I'm so lucky to have a friend like you, Santana. You're like a breath of fresh air for me. _

_How so?_ I turn my head to the side a bit and cock an eyebrow.

_Well, everyone at school thinks I'm retarded. You came to school, not knowing anything about anyone to hold against them, and everyone loves that about you. After your mall trip with Kurt, he texted Mercedes, who texted me, that he was so happy that you didn't judge him on his looks, or his voice. Which sounds very womanly and high pitched, in case you were wondering. He gets beat up a lot for it. _

_He gets beat up for his voice?_

_Yeah, and because he's gay. But he's a fighter, and he won't let anyone get in the way of his dreams. Especially not Karofsky. _

Karofsky? I've never heard of him. It pisses me off that someone's been hurting innocent Kurt.

_Who's this punk Karofsky? What's he got against Kurt?_

Brittany looks at me curiously, making sure that I said 'punk'. I usually don't use degrading words.

_He's on the football team with Finn, Sam, and Mike. He's the school's biggest homophobe. _

_Does he beat Kurt up a lot?_

_He never used to, he would just slushie him once or twice a month. Now for some reason he pushes him up against lockers and things. It's kind of bad. _

It pains me to hear that Kurt's been beaten up. He's never raised a hand to anyone, not that I've seen anyway. I'm going to have a little chat with this asshole Karofsky.

_Oh my gosh, this is the best part! It has great music, when they're playing baseball. It's Muse's Supermassive Black Hole. _Brittany says excitedly, pointing to the screen as she's explaining it to me. I nod vehemently, and motion for us to switch chip bowls. She has popcorn, and I have potato chips. Out of nowhere, Brittany's face turns red, and her mouth is open.

_Oh, Santana, I'm so sorry. That was so ignorant of me, to be talking about music when you can't hear it, _she apologizes, and I shake me head.

_No, it's okay. I'm fine with it; it's not a big deal for me-_

_I didn't mean to, I know you probably feel annoyed, not being able to hear stuff. I feel bad. _

Did she even hear what I said? I hate when people interrupt me.

_Brittany, it's fine. Don't worry about it_, I say, trying to get off the topic. But Brittany doesn't want to let it go. I turn away from her, but I can still see her mouth moving out the corner of my eye. She's still apologizing, still feeling bad for me.

I hate that.

_You know what B? Just leave it alone. You know, everyday when I wake up, I don't notice that I'm deaf. I don't notice when I eat my cereal in the morning, or when my mom drives me to school, or when I walk with you to class. But then someone mentions that I'm deaf, or that I have a handicap, and then I realize that I'm not like everyone else. I'm painfully different, and there's nothing I can do about it. _I get up from the couch to address Brittany formally, and I'm signing angrily as I speak.

_I don't want people to feel sorry for me, because I don't feel sorry for myself. I just want people to treat me like everyone else. I thought you of all people would see that. On my first day of school, no one talked to me until they saw I was hanging out with you. And no, I'm not annoyed that I can't hear, because I can tune out negative, ignorant people like you._ I shout, and storm out the door, slamming it hard. The cold autum air hits me hard, and I sit on the stoop and text my mom to come pick me up.

When my mom finally comes, I see Brittany watching me through the window. I don't look back as I lift myself into my mother's SUV.


	6. Put Up Your Dukes, Let's Get Down To It

**Put Up Your Dukes, Let's Get Down To It**

_Kurt_

I spritz a bit more hairspray on my 'do before shutting my locker, confident that my look is complete. As I turn to go to English, I see Karofsky and another jock heading my way. I try to quickly walk past them, but they see me and grin crookedly. Before I can run, Karofsky slams me into the nearest locker, holding me against it with his forearm.

"Hey there Hummel. How are you?" Karofsky says, and his Neanderthal grins as well. He slaps his hand on Karofsky's shoulder, leaning in closer.

"From the looks of it, I would say gay," he says, and they laugh, high fiving each other.

"Well then, I guess it's time for your daily beat down. Are you ready, pretty boy?" He says, and I grimace as he pulls back his fist.

"I just want to let you know, that you'll be working for me," I say, a last ditch effort to throw them off. Karofsky just pulls his fist back further.

"KURT!" I hear a girl scream, and it's Santana. She looks so small compared to the football jocks, and I'm shaking my head at her, hoping she leaves. I don't want her to get hurt.

"Lookie here Karofsky, it's the deaf girl," says the other jock, and Karofsky turns around, allowing me to slide down to the floor.

"CAN, YOU, UNDERSTAND, ME?" Karofsky says very slowly, and the pair laughs. "I don't think she hears us. Too stupid."

"Hey, astholes. Leave Lady Fauce here alone," Santana slurs, and the two approach her.

"Well well well, Mexican Helen Keller, I don't think we want to," Karofsky says, and Santana suddenly kicks her foot into Karofsky's groin. He yelps in pain as his friend bends over to help him up. Santana flies over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Ahur you okay? I'm sorry I culled you Lady Fce," Santana apologizes.

"It's okay. Let's just get out of here," I say, and I take her hand as we flee the scene.

I'm lucky to have a friend like Santana.

* * *

><p><em>Tina<em>

"And then she just kicks Karofsky right where it hurts! She was like Xena or something, I swear! It was totally cool, San," Kurt says, and Santana just smiles.

"I couldn't leut you get beat up. Brittany towld me thaut happenz a lot," Santana slurs, and Kurt nods.

"Well, now that I have you, I don't have to worry about that," Kurt says, putting his arm around the small girl.

"Speaking of Brittany," I say, "What's going on with you two? I haven't seen her with you all week." Kurt nods in agreement, wondering the same thing.

"We got in a fight. She was saying thaut she felt bawd about me being deauf. I don't like it when people say thaut, so I yeulled at her and left her haus," Santana explains, signing as well as speaking. I nod in understanding, and the three of us head to Glee club.

"I'm so excited for Glee today. I wanted to preform this song that I've been thinking about doing for the longest time," Kurt begins, and then is cut off. I look back just in time to see Karofsky throw a red slushie in Santana's face. Her mouth was open, so she spits out some of the red slush.

"Assholes!" Kurt shouts, and we hurry Santana to the girl's bathroom to clean her up.

"Why whould they throw shlusee's?" Santana cries, the red dye stinging her eyes.

"Because they're jerks," I say, taking a paper towel to her face. "Don't worry about it Santana, honestly. You're so much better than them."

Santana nods, and lets me clean up the rest of her face. When she looks halfway decent, the three of us head down to the choir room. When I see that Santana has a dejected look on her face, Kurt and I each take one of her arms, and we walk down the hallway together.

"It'll be okay, Santana. We promise."


	7. Dancing In Silence

**Dancing In Silence**

_Santana_

It's the day of Regionals, and all of us are boarding the bus. Mr. Shue checks our names off a list on his clipboard, making sure we are all here, as the cool autumn breeze blows around us. Golden colored leaves litter the pavement, crunching beneath my feet when stepped on. When we get on the bus, we all stick our heads outside the windows to watch Artie get lifted up into the big yellow school bus. The machine is slow and takes a good amount of time to reach the doors, but Artie finally gets into the bus and Mr. Shue goes to close the door behind him. I give Artie a little wave, and he smiles and waves back, and I think to myself that he sounds green. I turn my attention to the front of the bus where Mr. Shue will most likely be giving us a pep talk, and he does. I didn't catch everything the Spanish teacher says, because his butt chin is highly distracting. I feel the bus vibrating and then the bus begins to move, we are heading to Carmel High, where we will face Vocal Adrenaline and Aural Intensity. I'm a little anxious, but I know that we will all pull through for each other. I have been told that Rachel has a beautiful, remarkable voice, but then again I haven't heard it. Rachel sounds orange, ambitious and ready to take on the world.

I feel the seat adjust underneath a weight besides mine, and it's Brittany, blue eyes bright and gleaming with life. I can't help but smile when I see her, but I try to hide my happiness. I look away from her, pretending to not want to talk, but that's a complete lie. For some reason or another, I am drawn to this girl. I am helpless against her pull, as if she is Earth and I am the Moon. We may drift apart every so often, moving away from each other, but I always come back to her.

_I'm sorry, Santana. Please, can we just forget this and go back to the way things were before? _Brittany pleads, her eyes never looked so sad. She touches my arm with her delicate hand, and I feel that she is truly genuine. _Please, San. Let's be friends again. _

I smile at her, pulling her into a hug. _Of course, I was always your friend. _Brittany grins at this, breaking the hug to hold hands. _You know, Britts, we are pretty good together. _I say, and Brittany smiles at me, looking deep into my eyes.

_Yeah, I know. How about, after all this Regionals stuff is over with, you and I head over to Breadstix?_

_Just you and I? _I try to say quietly, and the blonde next to me nods.

_Just you and I. Deal?_

_Deal. Pick me up on Friday, 6 o'clock. _I negotiate, and Brittany laughs, sounding so very yellow. I love that yellow color she is. Slowly, she finds my hand and we intertwine our fingers, content with each other.

The prehistoric bus bumps along the side roads, shaking everyone up inside. Tina and Kurt, sitting in front of us, keep raising their eyebrows at me when they see Brittany and I holding hands, and I keep shooing them away. Kurt emerges again, making a heart with his hands. Brittany doesn't notice them, but I laugh and dismiss them once more. Quinn is sitting with Finn, Rachel across from them boring wholes into Quinn's skull with her poisonous glare. Brittany told me that Rachel and Finn had a thing for a bit, but he eventually found his way back to Quinn. I turn my attention back to my blonde friend when she nudges my side.

_I'm so nervous, I'm afraid I'll screw up and forget my moves, in front of everyone. _She says, leaning her head on the back of our seat.

_Stop worrying, you'll do fine. You're the best dancer out there! _I say, and I get a flick on the head from Mike, sitting behind us. _Sorry Mike, one of the best dancers, _I correct, and he smiles before sinking back down into his seat.

_Thanks, San. That really means a lot to me. You're so calm about this. Even Rachel is a bit nervous, _Brittany says, and let out a small giggle.

_I'm calm because,_ I begin, signing as well as talking, _I don't have to dance or sing! I just have to sway in the back!_ Brittany laughs at this, and being as most of the bus heard me, I can see some of them laughing too. I'm glad that people like me at this school. Granted, there will always be jerks like Karofsky no matter where I go, but people like these make my life a lot easier. We continue on the pothole filled holes until we reach Carmel High. I can feel the anxiety and pride and fear and nervousness radiating off everyone in the Glee club. I smile at Brittany as we exit the bus, letting go of each other. I offer to roll Artie up to the school's entrance, and he agrees. He doesn't talk to me, because I can't see his lips. Instead, I just talk to him. I feel like Artie and I have a strange connection through our handicaps. We are both limited in this world, but we can both thrive as well. When we get into the auditorium and sign in, Artie rolls in front of me, thanking me.

_We should probably get to the green room, we pulled second. We have to get costumes on anyway. _

I nod my head in agreement, signing 'see you later' to him, a sign that he has picked up from hanging out with me. I begin to walk to where all the girls are, and I feel someone next to me.

_So Santana, I know we haven't known each other for long, but I really like you. Do you maybe want to go to dinner with me on Thursday? _he asks me timidly, his green voice fading a bit. What do I say? I kind of think he's nice, but I also really like Brittany. I'm pretty sure you can go on dates with more than one person, right?

_It would just be, like, a date. Just a small one, no big deal, _Artie stutters, stumbling over his words nervously.

_Sure I'll go with you. _I nod, and continue on to the dressing room. _Pick me up at 5!_

It's just one date, right? Brittany wouldn't be mad, would she?

* * *

><p><em>Brittany<em>

I stand motionless on the stage, waiting patiently for Rachel and Finn to finish their duet. I'm going through the dance in my head again and again, making sure that I remember every step. I don't want to screw up, in front of an entire crowd. Boy, that crowd sure looks big. I don't want to look back, afraid that I will miss my cue. I wish that I could look back, though, to see Santana's beautiful brown eyes and know that it's okay. I need her support right now, but Mr. Shue stuck her all the way in the back for every number. She isn't even a part of any of the choreography, which is really unfair of Mr. Shue if you ask me.

Rachel's clear, bright voice rings out and holds the last note, the cue for Mike and I to stride to the center of the stage. For the girls' rendition of _Black Horse In A Cherry Tree, _Mike and I are supposed to act out the song, a sort of interpretive dance. We tango slash dance together, spinning and twirling throughout.

**Quinn**

Well my heart knows me better than I know myself

So I'm gonna let it do all the talking.

I came across a place in the middle of nowhere

With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

**Tina**

I felt a little fear upon my back

He said "Don't look back, just keep on walking."

When the big black horse said, "Hey lady!" {When the big black horse said, "Look this way"}

Said, "Look this way, will you marry me?" {Said, "Hey, lady, will you marry me?"}

**Mercedes**

But I said no, no, no, no-no-no

I said no, no, you're not the one for me

No, no, no, no-no-no

I said no, no, you're not the one for me

I push myself away from Mike, ready to say 'no no no', but my feet unexpectedly slip out from under me. I fall, and Mercedes and the other girls look behind them at me, but I motion for them all to keep going.

**Tina**

And my heart hit a problem, in the early hours,

So I stopped it dead for a beat or two.

But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done it,

**Mercedes**

And it won't forgive me after all these years

I attempt to get up off the floor, but I accidentally yelp in pain when my leg buckles underneath me, unwilling to let me stand. Mike runs to me, and everyone stops what they're doing. Surely this will detract from our score. I try to get up again, but fall into Mike's arms. He scoops me up and carries me off stage, but not before I see Santana move from her safe position in the back of the group to the front of the stage, where I was before. I can see all the girls trying to get Santana off the stage, but she can't hear them.

"Wait, Mike put me down here," I say, and Mike looks at me questionably. "We don't have time for this! Go out there and dance!"

"But who do I dance with?"

"Santana," I say, and we both cast our gaze to the small Latina on the stage. Mike looks at me again like I'm crazy.

"Ug, Mike! Trust me, just do it. She knows all the moves. Please, we don't have any other choice!" I protest, and Mike nods and hurries onstage. He waves his arm for the band to begin playing again. Looking at Santana nervously, she smiles at him and pushes him away, like I was supposed to.

**Quinn**

So I sent it to a place in the middle of nowhere

With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

Now it won't come back, 'cause it's oh so happy

And now I've got a hole for the world to see

**All**

And it said no, no, no, no-no-no

Said no, no, you're not the one for me

No, no, no, no-no-no-no

Said no, no, you're not the one for me

**Tina**

{Not the one for me}

I barely listen to their singing, because I all see is Santana. Mr. Shue is beside me, taking care of my sprained ankle, worrying that Santana couldn't dance. But yet, there she was, dancing by herself, right along with the music. I saw Tina almost stop singing when she saw her, Santana swaying to the music like she could hear it. The audience was entranced as well, but they didn't know why the rest of us were.

She moved so gracefully, so beautifully, that I had to remind myself again and again that she couldn't hear the music. It was as if, when she danced, all the weight of her handicap was no longer holding her down. She was free.

She was beautiful.

**Mercedes**

Oh-oh-oh you're not the one for me

Mercedes finishes, belting out the last phrase. When the lights dim, the girls exit off the stage, as the boys would start the next number first. They were all hugging Santana, silently screaming with joy. Santana was of course confused until someone actually began speaking in real sentences.

"Santana! You did amazing out there!" Mercedes whispers, not wanting to be too loud. Santana's smile stretches from ear to ear, looking very pleased with herself.

"I tould you, Mishter Shue!" Santana says pointing at the shocked Glee club leader. Mr. Shue puts him hands up, laughing.

"I'm sorry, Santana. From now on, you can dance anytime you want. But right now, you should probably get onstage," Mr. Shue says, shooing Santana onto the stage. The other girls fall in with her, and the crowd cheers loudly when they see Santana, whooping and clapping. They really do like her.

I watch her intently the entire time, studying her every movement. When the number is over, everyone goes up to the edge of the stage to bow, and for Santana, the entire Glee club does their clapping in sign language; shaking their open hands back and forth. Santana smiles and does the same, and so does the audience. The New Directions get another round of applause before getting of stage, everyone hugging and congratulating Santana.


End file.
